![]() ![]() ![]() have at least some access to a tablet or smartphone, and as many as 66 percent have their own device. In her post, Davis cited a study by research firm Dubit Ltd., which found that 93 percent of 6- to 12-year-olds in the U.S. “I know I’m not alone in the questions I’ve asked, the mistakes I’ve made and the worries I’ve had as a parent when it comes to kids and technology,” wrote Antigone Davis, global head of safety at Facebook. To accompany today’s Messenger Kids announcement, Facebook also published a new post in its “Hard Questions” blog series that discusses the challenges of dealing with a rapidly growing population of very young internet users. Messenger Kids is currently available for iOS users only in the U.S., but Android and international versions of the app will roll out in the coming months. Federal Trade Commission that governs how online services must protect personal information for children under 13. Messages sent to other children automatically go through the Messenger Kids app, but approved adult contacts can chat with kids through the regular Facebook Messenger.Īnother big difference with Messenger Kids is that the app does not display any ads, and Facebook said none of a child’s information is used for advertising purposes. Also, Messenger Kids is designed to be fully compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act, a law enforced by the U.S. This also means that contact between two kids must be approved by both sets of parents. Parents must also approve each individual contact on Messenger Kids, ensuring that their kids cannot chat with anyone without permission. The Messenger Kids account is tied directly to a parent’s account, and the parent can choose to lock the account at any time. They must then create a Messenger Kids account, which does not require any personal information other than the child’s name. Messenger Kids also has a few extra features aimed at keeping kids safe online. For example, only parents can create a Messenger Kids account.Īfter downloading Messenger Kids on a child’s device, parents have to authenticate the device using their own Facebook login and password. The app has simplified controls that are a little easier for kids to navigate, and it has its own library of kid-friendly gifs and video filters. “Whether it’s using video chat to talk to grandparents, staying in touch with cousins who live far away, or sending mom a decorated photo while she’s working late to say hi, Messenger Kids opens up a new world of online communication to families,” said Facebook Product Management Director Loren Cheng.įacebook’s new app offers many of the same features as the regular Facebook Messenger, including the ability to share photos and chat through both text and video, but Messenger Kids is a bit different. ![]() Today the social media giant took a step away from that restriction with the launch of Messenger Kids, a standalone chat app specifically designed for young kids. has had a longstanding rule forbidding children under 13 from having their own accounts. Golin says he'll probably make his 9-year-old daughter wait even longer than that.Like many online companies, Facebook Inc. Golin feels so strongly about keeping children off social media that he took the Wait Until 8th pledge, which encourages parents not to give their kids smartphones until the eighth grade. But as a society we have a responsibility to make sure parents' jobs are easier to raise healthier children and to look out for all children." "And by them going after young children and try to get them on social media, it's going to be a game-changer."Īsked what responsibility parents bear, Golin said, "The parents bear the responsibility, ultimately…. "We wrote this letter because Facebook is the world's largest social media company," Golin said. He says elementary school age children shouldn't be exposed to the harmful effects of social media, citing studies linking it to increases in depression, suicide rates, and body image issues. "Really what it's doing is indoctrinating much younger kids onto social media when their friendships should be offline and face-to-face," said Josh Golin, executive director of the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. ![]()
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